The House of Nobility ( sv, Riddarhuset) in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, is a corporation and a building that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the
Swedish nobility
The Swedish nobility ( sv, Adeln eller Ridderskapet och Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term ...
.
Name
The name is
literally
''Literally'' is an English adverb. It has been controversially used as an intensifier for figurative statements.
History
The first known use of the word ''literally'' was in the 15th century, or the 1530s, when it was used in the sense of "in ...
translated as ''House of Knights'', as the
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
s ( sv,
riddare) belong to the higher ranks of the Swedish nobility, sometimes also together with titles as
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
( sv, Greve) and
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
( sv,
friherre
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...
). All
esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
s are also represented in the corporation (most of the families are so called ''untitled nobility'', sv, obetitlad adel). This is a tradition from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
when Sweden during the
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union (Danish language, Danish, Norwegian language, Norwegian, and sv, Kalmarunionen; fi, Kalmarin unioni; la, Unio Calmariensis) was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under ...
only had one knight:
Sten Sture.
History
Between the 17th and the 19th century the House of Nobility was a chamber in the
Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...
.
In the 18th century, the building was often used for public concerts. From 1731, public concerts were performed here by
Kungliga Hovkapellet
Kungliga Hovkapellet (, "The Royal Court Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra, originally part of the Royal Court in Sweden's capital Stockholm. Its existence was first recorded in 1526. Since 1773 it is part of the Royal Swedish Opera's company.
K ...
.
Elisabeth Olin
Elisabeth Olin née ''Lillström'' (December 1740 – 26 March 1828) was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She performed the leading female role in the inauguration performance of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1773, and is referred to a ...
is believed to have debuted here in the 1750s, and foreign artists performed such as Elisabetta Almerighi,
Giovanni Ansani
Giovanni Ansani (11 February 1744 – 15 July 1826) was an Italian tenor and composer.
In 1770, he was singing at Copenhagen. About 1780 he came to London, where he at once took the first place; but, being of a most quarrelsome temper, he threw u ...
(1772) and
Rosa Scarlatti
Rosa Scarlatti (1727– 15 December 1775) was an Italian opera singer.
She was the niece of Alessandro or Domenico Scarlatti and the sister of composer Giuseppe Scarlatti (1723-1777). She married composer Francesco Uttini in 1753, and became the ...
.
In 1866, the Parliament of the Estates was replaced by the new
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...
. From then on, the House of Nobility served as a quasi-official representative body for the Swedish nobility, regulated by the Swedish government. Since 2003, it has been a private institution which maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility, its main purpose being to maintain old traditions and culture.
Building
The ''Riddarhuset'' is also the name of the building maintained by the corporation in
Stockholm old town. The
French-born
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Simon de la Vallée
Simon de la Vallée (1590–1642) was a French-Swedish architect. The first architect in Sweden to have received formal academic training, he created the Swedish school of architecture.
Biography
Born in Paris, he was the son of Marin de la Val ...
started the planning of the building, but was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642. The plans were eventually finished by his son,
Jean de la Vallée
Jean de la Vallée (ca 1620 – 12 March 1696) was a Swedish architect.
Biography
Born in France, he was the son of architect Simon de la Vallée (ca 1595–1642).
He made early trips in France and Italy where he studied the new baroque forms ...
, in 1660.
The south end of the building carries the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
inscription
CLARIS MAIORUM EXEMPLIS, ''after the clear example of the forefathers'', and holds a statue of
Gustav Vasa
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföre ...
, the king of Sweden 1523-1560. North of the building is a park in which is a statue of
Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (; 1583–1654), Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a c ...
.
The architecture of the old main library in
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, was influenced by the Swedish House of Nobility.
Gallery
Image:Riddarhuset i Stockholm (1885, ur Svenska Familj-Journalen).png, Swedish House of Nobility in 1885
Image:Riddarhuset old.jpg, Swedish House of Nobility during the Age of Liberty
In Swedish and Finnish history, the Age of Liberty ( sv, frihetstiden; fi, vapauden aika) was a period that saw parliamentary governance, increasing civil rights and the decline of the Swedish Empire that began with Charles XII's death in 1718 ...
, in the 18th century.
Image:Riddarhuset Stockholm Sweden.jpg, The Swedish House of Nobility, north end, with a statue of Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (; 1583–1654), Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a c ...
.
See also
*
Architecture of Stockholm
The architecture of Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even earlier. According to some sources, there might have been a simple defense structure, perhaps a small castle, on the northeast part of the island Stad ...
*
List of Swedish noble families
This is a list of Swedish noble families, which are divided into two main groups:
* Introduced nobility, i.e. noble families introduced at the Swedish House of Nobility
* Unintroduced nobility, i.e. noble families which have not been introduced at ...
*
Finnish House of Nobility
The House of Nobility either refers to the institution of the Finnish nobility or the palace of the noble estate. The Finnish nobility was until 1906 the first of the four estates of the realm.
The Estate
The estate of nobility existed fully st ...
*
Riddarhustorget Riddarhustorget (, "Square of the House of Knights") is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, named after its location in front of the House of Knights (''Riddarhuset'').
The present square, largely occupied b ...
*
Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen (, "The Knights' Islet") is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church Riddarho ...
External links
Official ''Riddarhuset'' websiteRiddarhuset.se: Archives
{{Coord, 59, 19, 33, N, 18, 03, 55, E, region:SE_type:landmark, display=title
Buildings and structures in Stockholm
.
Social history of Sweden
Defunct upper houses
Legislative buildings in Europe
Seats of national legislatures
1660 establishments in Sweden
Buildings and structures completed in 1660
Baroque architecture in Sweden